Kentucky Military Institute ex-cadets talk of old times

VENICE -- Last month, a collection of men gathered in Venice for a reunion to celebrate a unique era of their lives.

From the Depression years of the 1930s until the early 1970s, Venice was the location of a gregarious group of snowbirds.

During that time the cadets of the Kentucky Military Institute (KMI) made what is now the Venice Centre Mall their winter home, a haven for staff and pupils alike. Quiet and spacious, during the first half of the 20th century, Venice became an obvious choice to set up camp far from the northern winter chill.

Originally known as the San Marco Hotel, by 1932 KMI made it their own, becoming a focal point of town life, providing both pomp and typically boyish pursuits.

For two graduates from the class of 1957, the simple fact that they can visit a piece of their past is reason enough to travel many miles from their present homes. Reminiscing across the street from what used to be their drill square, Dave Buhner and Frank Tuckwiller were in a bittersweet mood.

Feeling the effects from their party the previous night at the Plantation Golf and Country Club, one of the many social gatherings of the weekend, the pair talked about the time they spent here and what the weekend meant to them.

“The original Institute in Lyndon, Ky., is long gone,” said Buhner, who traveled from his home in Houston to attend his class’ 50th anniversary. “All we have now is our former barracks -- the mall. That’s why we come to Venice. It’s all that’s left.”

Tuckwiller couldn’t agree more. A former Marine Corps company commander and veteran of two tours of Vietnam, he now owns a successful vineyard in West Virginia. He recalls his days in Venice with pride.

“We had a great sense of camaraderie,” he remembers. “We were all young and enjoying ourselves. We had a blast. But there was no air conditioning in those days. We were uncomfortable to say the least.”

Founded in 1845, KMI was one of the oldest military preparatory schools in the United States. However, during the Vietnam War the school closed due to financial difficulties and the cadets would eventually bid farewell to Venice in 1970.

“But at least our barracks are still standing,” said Tuckwiller, who admitted the war he fought had a devastating impact on the Institute. “No one wanted to know about the military anymore,” he said.

Buhner added, “It’s a miracle the building has stood the test of time.”

Today, 258 Tampa Trail is home to over 20 small businesses including one store owner, Lee Ball of Auntie’s Attic, who is determined to keep the memory of KMI alive and maintain a meeting place for the alumni.

“I simply love the history of this building and what it represents,” she said. While many of the mall’s former occupants were reminiscing, Ball explained her personal vision. “I simply want this building on the National Historic Registry.” But she’s found it to be a tough task as the paperwork and red tape have proved tough obstacles to overcome.

Ball, however, remains undaunted. “This building and the memories have to be preserved,” she said.

Flipping through Buhner’s scrapbook, it’s easy to agree.

Pictures of young cadets show a Venice of innocent times, proud of its military heritage and turning out every second Sunday for the Institute’s parade on what is now Miami Avenue. “Heck,” Buhner says. “41 was just a two-lane dirt track in those days.”

Armed with those memories, as the former cadets grow older, they become closer.

“Thankfully, another reunion is already being planned,” says Tuckwiller. “We’ll be back to swap stories and enjoy our time here. I don’t know if we would be who we are today if it wasn’t for Venice.”

By KEN HAGGERTY CORRESPONDENT
Posted May 29, 2007
Sarasota Herald Tribune

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